The Minnesota Timberwolves live at the charity stripe
The Minnesota Timberwolves are making a living at the charity stripe and it’s an underrated reason for their success so far.
With the Minnesota Timberwolves sitting ten games over .500 for the first time in over a decade, a very underrated aspect of their success has been due to their frequent trips to the free throw line. Minnesota takes 24.9 attempts per 100 possessions from the charity stripe, fourth in the NBA.
The good news isn’t just in the frequency of the attempts, but the success they have once they get there. They knock down 79.8 percent of their freebies, good enough for sixth in the league. This has also led them to scoring 18.0 percent of their points from the line which is also fourth in the league. Not surprisingly, they also draw the fourth most fouls per game from their opponents at 21.4. Minnesota must really like the number four.
The frequent trips to the line is a result of a physical style of play from players mainly named Jimmy Butler, Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns.
Butler far and away takes more free throw attempts than the other two, averaging 8.1 attempts per 100 possessions and racking up 25.3 percent of his points from the charity stripe. Wiggins and Towns are neck and neck with the former averaging 6.2 attempts and the latter averaging 6.1
More from Dunking with Wolves
- The dream starting 5 for Minnesota Timberwolves 5 years from now
- Anthony Edwards’ latest accolade is a great sign of things to come
- In an OT thriller, Team Canada snatches Bronze from Team USA
- Timberwolves start, bench, cut: Mike Conley, Shake Milton, Jordan McLaughlin
- Which Timberwolves roster additions have upgraded the bench?
Butler does a fantastic job of getting his body into defenders and creating contact. Although opposing players and teams may become frustrated, it keeps his defender at bay for fear of picking up an unnecessary foul. Furthermore, it’s a great tactic because it can quickly create foul trouble for opposing wings.
When Wiggins is in attack mode, he can create the same amount of contact Butler does. Unfortunately, he settles for difficult mid-range jumpers far too often which minimizes his drives to the rim.
If Towns ever begins to get the respect he deserves, his free throw attempts should sky-rocket as well. But first, he must quit complaining about every play. The officials quickly get fed up with his constant whining for calls and are likely to continue to give him the cold shoulder unless he turns his act around.
Next: 5 New Year's resolutions for the Minnesota Timberwolves
With those three players alone, however, Minnesota will continue to dictate the flow of the game and visit the free throw line with great frequency. This bodes well for cold-shooting nights and playoff time where the game can be a lot more physical. Let’s hope this trend continues throughout the season.